Mail-box.



F. SLAGOW.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3o. 1914.

.... NOHHIS PL fries 1:0., PHON: LlrHo.. WASHING roN. o4 C,

MAIL-BOX.

Maaate.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

Application filed July 30, 1914. Serial No. 854,158.

To all whom it may concern:

, Beit known that I, FRANK SLAGOW, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Bretz, in the county of Preston and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

` This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail boxes. f

The primary object of this invention is to provide a mail box in which it is impossible to remove mail matter through the entrance chute after such matter has been placed in the box therethrough.

A further object is to provide a mailbox which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture but at the same time highly efficient in its use and is proof against any theft of the mail matter which has been deposited therein.

A still further object is to provide a series of pivoted tripping platforms each successively receiving the mail matter and passing such matter through the series of platforms until its final deposit in the box collecting chamber. l

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, it is nevertheless to be understood that the saine comsists in the novel combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several viewsz-Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal central sectional view taken through a portion of the box looking in a forward direction, a portion of the box being shown in rear elevation. Fig. 2 is a central transverse sectional view thereof. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the entrance slot protecting plates. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the pivoted guards detached, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of another of said guards or platforms detached.'

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates the box that is adapted to receive mail matter through the entrance slot 11 in the front wall 12 thereof, which wall is also provided with an exit door 13 adjacent the bottom thereof to allow a removal of the mail matter from the collecting chamber 14 inthe lower portion of the box. A curved lid 15 is hingedly connected to the front Wall 12 at a point above the entrance slot 11 and 1s adapted to be raised for uncovering the slot for the purpose of allowing mail matter to be placed through Vthe slot. A plurality of guard plates 16 are hinged to the interior of the wall 12 at a point above the entrance slot and are inwardly movable by the entering mail matter, while a stop plate 17 rigidly secured to the inner face of the front wall 12 limits the inward swinging movement of the plates 16.

A platform 18 is journaled as at 19 transversely within the box and having its journaling connection in substantial horizontal alinement with the entrance slot 11, this platformhaving a closed or plate formation constituting its upper portion 20 while its Vlower portion 21 is formed of a series of projecting rods of equal length and whereby the weight of the upper portion 2O being greater than the lower portion 21, the platform 18 is normally positioned inclined and with its lower portion21 engaging the lower edge of an inclined stop plate 22 secured to the inner face of the wall 12. A stop lug or pin 23 is provided projecting from the inner face of each of the side Walls of the box for limiting the hinging movement of the platform 18 in a reverse direction. An oblique inwardly projecting ledge 24 is secured to the wall 12 and arranged parallel and beneath the stop plate 22, while a further ledge 25 is secured substantially centrally of the box and transversely thereof between its opposite Sides and lying at a different obliolue angle from the ledge 24. A smaller hinged platform 26 is journaled within the box to the opposite sides thereof at a point beneath the ledge 24 and has one side thereof formed of rods 27 similar in construction to the side 21 of the platform 18 and which rods 27 are adapted to engage the ledge 25 acting as a stop for the movement of the platform 26 in one direction, while the ledge 24 acts as a stop for the same in the other direction.

A third and lowermost one of the succeeding platforms as shown at 28 is in the form of a plate and is hinged substantially in the same plane as the guard 25, being trunnioned to the opposite sides of the box such matter moves .the platform 26 similarly upon its pivots, allowing the mail matter to adjacent the cutaway portions 29-of said guard 25. v Y

The mail Vmatter deposited through the slot 11 pushes inwardly the plates 16 and falls upon the ledgev 22 and the weight of such matter engaging the lower portion 21 of the platform 18, moves the said platform `upon its pivots and allows the mail matter to pass over the ledge 24 and upon the rods 27 of the'platform 26 kso that the weight of Ypass onto thefplate platform 28 and pivot such-lower platform to allow the mail matter to dropinto the collecting chamber 14 of the box.4

The ledge 25 has an upper cut away portion 29 for accommodating the lower portion 21of the platform 18, while the upper portions of both of said platforms 18 and 26 insure their return to their normal positions as illustrated in Eig. 2 by reason of the s wardly to the collecting chamber 14 by the pivoted platforms 18, 26 and 28, while all of said platforms normally return to their 4original lpositions and constitute a complete guard against -anyV possible removal of the mail matter after the same has once reached Vthe chamber 14.

While the usual form of mounting the box may lbe employed, the straps 31 are herein illustrated and it will be, understood that minor changes may be made in the form and proportion of the various parts of the device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new is -1. A mail box comprising a receptacle having a collecting chamber in the bottom thereof and with a mail entrance slot through the front wall of the receptacle, guard plates pivoted within the receptacle normally covering said slot, an inclined ledge beneath said slot, a weighted platform pivoted within the receptacle in substantial alinement with said slot and adapted to have `its lower portion normally contacting said ledge, a guard obliquely secured within the receptacle and having a cut away upper portion adapted to allow movement of said platform thereinto, an intermediate platform pivoted within the receptacle and having its lower portion normally engaging said oblique guard, a lower plate platform pivoted adjacent the ends of said oblique platform and normally positioned substantially horizontal and a weight member carried by said lower platform for normally returning the same to its inoperative position.

2. A mail boX comprising a receptacle, a mail-receiving opening and mail-exit door in one wall thereof, a guard member positioned inwardly of the receiving opening adapted to overlie the same, an angular ledge and guard plate arranged in arallelism and positioned below said opening, a pivoted guard ymember adapted to engage the free end of said plate, a tiltable mail-reoeiving plate, and guard members associated with said plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature irpresence of two Witnesses.

y FRANK SLAGOW. Witnesses:

JOHN BizoN,

JOHN LYsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti, Washington. D. C. 

